The San Jose Earthquakes return to Buck Shaw Stadium to host the Portland Timbers on Sunday, April 21, presented by the County of Santa Clara Household Hazardous Waste. The match kicks off at 8 p.m. PT on Comcast SportsNet California, UniMas, 1590 KLIV and 1370 KZSF.

San Jose’s Record in April
The Quakes are 24-27-15 all-time in April in MLS play.

Last Game
Earthquakes 0, Portland Timbers 1; April 14, 2013; JELD-WEN Field in Portland, Ore.
The Earthquakes dropped a 1-0 decision to the Portland Timbers at JELD-WEN Field in the first of two consecutive matches against their Western Conference rival. Will Johnson scored the lone goal of the match with a free kick in the 78th minute. After a tight first half that saw only a few scoring opportunities, the Timbers earned the win with a late goal from Johnson. After a foul at the top of the box, Johnson curled in a free kick to give Portland the victory.

Portland Timbers Scouting Report
The Portland Timbers (2-1-3, 9 pts.) are coming off back-to-back wins, including a 1-0 result against the Earthquakes at JELD-WEN Field on Sunday. Will Johnson had the lone goal in that one, curling home a free kick in the 78th minute. Portland’s head coach, Caleb Porter, is in his first year with the club after spending his previous seven years with Akron; he led the Zips to the NCAA Tournament six times, including a national title in 2010. Portland has scored in each of its first six matches with their 10 total goals tied for second-most in the league. Ryan Johnson Will Johnson lead the squad with three tallies appiece. Diego Chara tops their charts with two assists. Designated Player Diego Valeri has just one goal, but has had his looks as well with a team-high 19 shots.

Last Game vs. Portland Timbers
Earthquakes 0, Portland Timbers 1; April 14, 2013; JELD-WEN Field in Portland, Ore.
The Earthquakes dropped a 1-0 decision to the Portland Timbers at JELD-WEN Field in the first of two consecutive matches against their Western Conference rival. Will Johnson scored the lone goal of the match with a free kick in the 78th minute. After a tight first half that saw only a few scoring opportunities, the Timbers earned the win with a late goal from Johnson. After a foul at the top of the box, Johnson curled in a free kick to give Portland the victory.

History of the Quakes – Portland Timbers Rivalry
The Earthquakes and Timbers rivalry dates back to when the teams played in the North American Soccer League … The squads faced off for the first time as members of the NASL in 1975 in San Jose and the Earthquakes were victorious 2-1 with Ilija Mitic scoring both goals for the Quakes … The Timbers evened the series with a 2-1 home victory towards the end of the ’75 season … In 1976 the teams only met once and Portland got the better of the Earthquakes in a 1-0 victory in San Jose … The Earthquakes swept the 1977 season series with a 3-2 victory at home and 2-1 win in Portland … The Timbers came back in 1978 and outscored the Earthquakes 8-2 in two wins on their way to the NASL National Conference Final, where they lost to the New York Cosmos … The teams split the 1979 series with Portland winning 4-3 in San Jose and the Earthquakes winning 2-1 in Portland …In 1980 the Earthquakes dropped both games to the Timbers, losing each match by just one goal … The Timbers got the best of the Earthquakes in 1981 as well, sweeping the season series by finals of 3-0 and 2-1 … 1982 was the last NASL series between the two teams … The Earthquakes won the first game 1-0 in Portland and the Timbers were victorious 1-0 when they traveled to San Jose … The two sides played again in a 2001 exhibition in Portland and the Timbers were victorious 2-1 … The next meeting came in 2004 during the U.S. Open Cup and the Earthquakes won 3-0 … In 2005 the sides met again in the U.S. Open Cup and the Earthquakes were victorious 2-0 … The Earthquakes topped Portland in U.S. Open Cup Qualifying 1-0 on May 3, 2011 with Ike Opara scoring the game winner in the 120th minute … The Earthquakes and Timbers battled to a pair of 1-1 draws in 2011 … Portland got the better of San Jose 2-1 at JELD-WEN Field in the two team’s first meeting of 2012, snapping a three-game winning streak for the Earthquakes … Chris Wondolowski came off the bench to score a pair of second-half goals and rally San Jose from a two-goal deficit in a 2-2 draw at Buck Shaw Stadium on Sept. 19 … The Earthquakes and Timbers closed out the 2012 regular season with a 1-1 draw on Oct. 27. Chris Wondolowski tied Roy Lassiter’s single-season mark of 27 goals with a penalty kick in the 24th minute … Portland won the clubs’ first of three meetings in 2013 1-0 at JELD-WEN Field with Will Johnson curling home a free kick in the 78th minute.

Earthquakes – Portland Timbers Connections
San Jose defender Justin Morrow attended Notre Dame with Portland forward Bright Dike from 2007-09 ... Timbers Donovan Ricketts played with Quakes forward Alan Gordon for the LA Galaxy in 2009 and 2010 … Timbers forward Ryan Johnson played with the Earthquakes from 2008-11 … Earthquakes defenders Nana Attakora (2010-11), Dan Gargan (2010-11), Ty Harden (2010-12) and forward Alan Gordon (2011) played with Timbers goalkeeper Milos Kovic (2010-12) for Toronto FC … Earthquakes midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy played with Timbers forward Ryan Johnson for Real Salt Lake in 2006 … Earthquakes midfielder Shea Salinas played with Timbers midfielder Michael Nanchoff for Vancouver Whitecaps FC in 2011 … Portland head coach Caleb Porter was originally drafted by San Jose in the third round (No. 27 overall) of the 1998 MLS SuperDraft … Porter appeared in four matches with the Clash in 1999, his only season with the club.

Earthquakes All-Time Leaders vs. Portland Timbers
Forward Chris Wondolowski has three goals in six appearances … Forward Alan Gordon has two goals and one assist in six appearances … Goalkeeper Jon Busch is 0-1-4 in his five games vs. Portland.

Portland Timbers All-Time Leaders vs. Earthquakes
Midfielder Jack Jewsbury has two goals and one assist in 15 appearances … Defender Michael Harrington has two assists in six appearances … Goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts is 2-2-3 with two shutouts and 32 saves in eight appearances.

Lenhart Returns to Starting XI
Steven Lenhart started his first game of 2013 in Sunday’s 1-0 loss against the Portland Timbers at JELD-WEN Field. He played 63 minutes before subbing out for Cordell Cato. Lenhart made his first appearance of the season one week prior in a 1-1 draw against Vancouver Whitecaps FC. The target man had a career-high 10 goals and two assists in 2012, helping the Earthquakes to their second Supporters’ Shield trophy. He missed the first five games of 2013 due to offseason surgery to repair a partially torn meniscus.

Morrow Approaching Career Milestone
Earthquakes defender Justin Morrow is two away from 50 career starts. The 2012 MLS All-Star left back started 33 of San Jose’s 34 games one year ago – logging 2,970 minutes of a possible 3,060 in the process – and had put in 90-minute efforts in six of the club’s seven matches so far in 2013. His one missed start came due to U.S. Men’s National Team duty in March; he was on the bench for the USMNT’s 1-0 win against Costa Rica in Denver, Colo. on March 22 and their scoreless draw against Mexico in Mexico City on March 26.

Baca Approaching Career Milestone
Earthquakes midfielder Rafael Baca is one away from 50 career starts. The third-year central midfielder has started each of San Jose’s seven matches in 2013. The former Loyola Marymount standout signed with the Earthquakes on July 8, 2011 as an undrafted rookie.

Gargan Approaching Century Mark
Earthquakes defender Dan Gargan is one away from 100 career MLS starts. The eight-year MLS veteran joined San Jose through the second stage of the 2012 MLS Re-Entry Draft and signed on Jan. 25, 2013. His journey through the league has included stops with the Colorado Rapids, (2005-08), Chivas USA (2008), Toronto FC (2010-11), Chicago Fire (2011-12) and now the Earthquakes. He has three starts to date for San Jose.

May 18 Match vs. Colorado Sold Out
The Earthquakes announced last week that their May 18 match against the Colorado Rapids, presented by Kaiser Permanente, is sold out. The club has held a limited number of seats that are available through mini-plans and season ticket packages, but group and individual tickets are no longer available. Tickets are still available for the club’s remaining fixtures up to that date. Those matches include: Sunday, April 21 vs. Portland Timbers at 8:00 p.m. PT; Saturday, May 4 vs. Montreal Impact at 1 p.m. PT; and Wednesday, May 8 vs. Toronto FC at 7:30 p.m. PT.

Dalena Tran Wins Earthquakes’ BAASST Scholarship
Irvington High senior Dalena Tran was named the club’s Bay Area All-Star Scholarship Team recipient last week. Tran received a check for $3,000 and will be recognized at an upcoming Earthquakes game for her achievement. BAASST has recognized exceptional students like Dalena for the past 17 years. A collaborative effort among the top professional sports teams in the Bay Area – including the San Jose Sharks, Golden State Warriors, Oakland A’s, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco Giants, and San Francisco 49ers – the seven annual scholarship winners are each recognized at an event hosted by each team.

Earthquakes 5K/10K Challenge
The club will host its second annual Earthquakes 5K/10K Challenge, benefiting The Health Trust of Silicon Valley and the San Jose Earthquakes Community Fund, on Sunday, Aug. 18. More information and a registration link are available at www.quakeschallenge.com. The 5K/10K Challenge begins at 8 a.m. with three options for runners of all ages. The club is offering an Early Bird Registration Special of $45 for the 10K, $30 for the 5K, and $20 for the Kids Fun Run (ages 12 and under). Prices will go up starting June 1 so fans are encouraged to sign up early. All participants receive a race t-shirt and access to a post-race celebration. The event will feature a new course this year, taking participants from the Earthquakes’ current venue at Santa Clara University, past the construction at the site of the club’s new stadium on Coleman Ave. in San Jose and back to Buck Shaw Stadium. The event is co-produced by Threshold Racing and Firstwave Events, the same companies that organize the San Jose Turkey Trot, Santa Cruz Half Marathon, and the San Jose Metro Triathlon.

T-Mobile 4G Power Zone Back for 2013
The Earthquakes announced last week that they have teamed with T-Mobile for the second year in a row to create the “T-Mobile 4G Power Zone” at all home games for the 2013 season. The promotion will give fans the opportunity to purchase great seats for only $17 – a discount of $10 off the day-of-game price, the most affordable Earthquakes tickets available to the public. Through the agreement, T-Mobile has rebranded the Corner Flag Section 107 at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara as the “T-Mobile 4G Power Zone.” For more information, visit www.sjearthquakes.com/tickets.

Quakes President Dave Kaval’s Office Hours

Earthquakes President Dave Kaval’s office hours will continue in 2013. Fans can drop by his office at 451 El Camino Real, Suite 201 in Santa Clara, Calif., on Tuesdays between 3 and 5 p.m. PT. Participants will be seen on a first come, first served basis. Be sure to read his blog, Kaval’s Kickoff, exclusively at www.sjearthquakes.com, and follow him on Twitter at @QuakesPrez.

Season Tickets on Sale/Priority for New Stadium
Season tickets for the 2013 season at Buck Shaw Stadium are still available. By purchasing season tickets for the final season at Buck Shaw Stadium, fans can enter the queue for priority seating for the Earthquakes New Stadium. Season ticket holders are currently selecting their seats for the New Stadium. To purchase season tickets or for more information, please contact the Earthquakes headquarters at 408-556-7700.

Stanford Stadium Tickets Now on Sale
Ticket sales for the Quakes match at Stanford on June 29 against the LA Galaxy, presented by XFINITY, have started quickly with 25,000 tickets already sold following the first month of sales. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.sjearthquakes.com or calling 800-225-2277. Groups of 10 or more should call the club’s headquarters at 408-556-7700. Last year’s match drew a capacity crowd of 50,391 for a 4-3 Earthquakes win against the Galaxy.

Wells Fargo Goals for Education
Wells Fargo has again pledged to donate $250 for each goal the Earthquakes score in 2013 through the Goals for Education program. The club has raised $1,250 so far this season thanks to five goals. The Earthquakes raised $18,000 in 2012 after scoring a club record 72 goals.